


Patheia

by pressdbtwnpages



Category: Jonas Brothers
Genre: AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-24
Updated: 2009-11-24
Packaged: 2017-10-17 18:58:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/180160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressdbtwnpages/pseuds/pressdbtwnpages
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe develops telepathy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Patheia

**Author's Note:**

> Birthday fic for my beloved [](http://wordsaremyfaith.livejournal.com/profile)[**wordsaremyfaith**](http://wordsaremyfaith.livejournal.com/). Many thanks to [](http://elterriblefizzy.livejournal.com/profile)[**elterriblefizzy**](http://elterriblefizzy.livejournal.com/) for hand-holding and to [](http://inthenameofjuc.livejournal.com/profile)[**inthenameofjuc**](http://inthenameofjuc.livejournal.com/) for last-minute beta-ing. They tried, I did a lot of not listening, any and all mistakes are mine. Also? This is fiction.

_**[Jonas Brothers] Patheia**_  
Characters: Joe/Nick  
Word Count: 4,121  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: Joe develops telepathy.  
Notes: Birthday fic for my beloved [](http://wordsaremyfaith.livejournal.com/profile)[**wordsaremyfaith**](http://wordsaremyfaith.livejournal.com/). Many thanks to [](http://elterriblefizzy.livejournal.com/profile)[**elterriblefizzy**](http://elterriblefizzy.livejournal.com/) for hand-holding and to [](http://inthenameofjuc.livejournal.com/profile)[**inthenameofjuc**](http://inthenameofjuc.livejournal.com/) for last-minute beta-ing. They tried, I did a lot of not listening, any and all mistakes are mine. Also? This is fiction.

Joe absently hands Nick the bottle of water sitting on the table.

"Thanks, Joe. You read my mind."

But, no, Joe really didn't. Nick had been talking about the drink for like ten minutes, interrupting Joe's reading because he's too lazy to reach over and get it, can't decide if he really wants it. He kind of wouldn't shut up about the stupid drink. But Joe's a nice brother, so he doesn't call Nick on it.  
*

Everyone has been really loud today. Like, Joe's pretty sure everyone he knows has forgotten how to use their inside voices. He has heard so many things he never needed to know. Including Kevin's half of a really really personal phone call between he and Dani. Joe wishes he could bleach his brain.

He has a killer headache and he just wants everyone to shut up for ten seconds. He doesn't care about Frankie's Gogurt, or whatever Garbo's doing, or about Nick's obsessive re-writing. He doesn't know why any of them has to say these things out loud. Even Mom's being really annoying planning Kevin's wedding. He doesn't know why she's talking to herself and not to Kevin. Or why everyone is talking to themselves.

*

Joe's headache doesn't get better during sound check. In fact, the more people that show up, all talking, the worse his head aches. By the time it's time for their set Joe is kind of concerned that his brain might actually explode.

Miraculously, his headache doesn't get any worse on stage. All of the talking and screaming fades away to it's usual dull roar. Except that the band is still talking. While Nick and Kevin are playing and singing they're talking. Nick's obsessing about the number of people in the crowd and the note he missed three songs ago and Kevin's reading fan signs out loud for some reason. Everyone else on stage is talking too. Big Rob spends all of his verse of "Burnin' Up" talking about how nervous he is. It's really weird.

The show actually goes really well. Nick snaps at Joe at a couple of points to do some different stuff and then beams at Joe when he does them. Kevin too. It never occurred to Joe to just bark out orders on stage, but, whatever, it works out kind of awesomely.

*

Backstage after the show Joe's headache is back in full force. He'd really like to shout at everyone, but just the thought of it sends shivers of pain down his spine. The noise doesn't seem to be bothering anyone else and he's starting to worry that he's actually going crazy.

Joe feels weak just standing up. All of his blood feels like it's drained out of his body and he feels like a dead battery. He starts to sway and Joe's pretty sure he's about to pass out in the middle of the green room.

An arm wraps around his waist just as Joe's knees start to give out.

"I've got you, Joe," Nick tells him. He leans against his little brother.

"Thanks, Nicky."

Nick jerks but doesn't let go of Joe. "What?"

His voice sounds shaky, deeper and weirdly metallic.

Joe's exhausted, but he turns to look at Nick. "Hmm?"

"Are you? Obviously he's not feeling alright. Something is really wrong. We should go. We're gonna go back to the hotel, okay Joe?"

"Mmm, fine." Things seem a little quieter close to Nick and Joe thinks sleep sounds amazing.

Nick drags Joe with him to make Big Rob take them home. Big Rob's annoyed and tells Nick so. He doesn't see why they can't wait around for everyone else. Nick doesn't even react. It's really odd.

"Thanks, Big Rob," Joe mumbles as he gets tucked in the car. "Sorry for being a pain."

"Don't worry about it, buddy. Thanks for saying thank you."

They try to be pretty polite, but Joe knows he doesn't say "thank you" enough. He feels bad about it.

*

Things don't get any less weird on the way to the hotel, Nick's mumbling about how worried he is about Joe, which is super reassuring, thanks, and Big Rob's grumbling about the hotel being far from the venue.

Not only is everyone really talkative today, they're also all jerks.

*

The hotel lobby is also super loud. It's like midnight and there are probably only a dozen people around, but it sounds like everyone is screaming at the top of their lungs.

Joe whimpers.

"Joe?" Nick asks in his metal-smooth voice. "You okay?"

Joe shakes his head. "No. Loud."

Geez, all he really wants is to sleep. He has a sinking feeling that even his and Nick's room is going to be too loud though. This day is weird and stupid and awful.

Joe wishes he could turn off his brain, instead he listens to all the noise and lets Nick herd him into the elevator and up to their floor.

It's somehow even louder in the hallway. Like, instead of people dreaming normally, its like they're all standing in their doorways telling Joe what they would be dreaming. Some of them. Wow. Some of them are really intense.

Joe collapses against Nick.

"Come on, Joe," Nick is louder than the others and his smooth voice echoes. "Almost to our room."

Nick opens their door, hurries them in, and shoves it shut quickly.

"Better?" He sounds metallic again.

The people are a little bit muted, but not much. Trying to sleep tonight is going to be excruciating. Joe shakes his head at Nick.

Nick drags Joe into the bathroom and shoves a towel under the door. It's not significantly quieter, even when Nick turns the shower on.

"Joe, you gotta listen to me, okay?" Nick insists.

Joe tries to focus on him. There's just so much other noise. It's like trying to pick Nick's voice out from a chorus or a crowded room. He can do it, of course, it just takes some effort.

"Okay," Joe agrees, straining.

"This is going to sound crazy, but, I think you're psychic."

It does in fact sound crazy. But everything about today has been crazy. Joe feels like he is going crazy. So he just nods.

"You've been answering things I've been thinking all day. I think you even answered in my head at one point. Can you, can you try to read my mind?" Nick asks. "Maybe it'll be easier to talk there?"

"Okay."

 _Joe Joe Joe Joe Joe Joe Joe,_ Nick is chanting. So that's what the weird metallic sound in Nick's voice is, it's his thoughts.

 _Nick?_ Joe tries.

"Yeah."

It's blissfully quiet in Nick's brain. Just the sounds Joe should be able to hear, the shower running, Nick tapping his fingers against the counter.

"You, you okay, Joe?"

 _It's quiet._ Joe can't explain how loud it was. He doesn't want Nick to know how much it hurts. But. _I never want to leave._

 _You never have to,_ Nick thinks instantly. Joe appreciates the offer, he really does, but.

 _You can't just let me share your brain, Nick. There have to be things in here you don't want me to know._

 _Yes,_ Nick admits and then flushes when he realizes that he's admitted it. "I'd rather have you know everything than go crazy."

 _Thanks._ If Joe hadn't been unknowingly listening to people's thoughts all day, if this wasn't the first bit of quiet he'd had in probably 24 hours, if Nick hadn't been begging in the back of his brain, chanting 'please please please please', Joe would have refused. Or at least tried harder to resist. But he's so tired. _Okay._

"You think you can stay in my head while we get ready for bed?"

Joe has no idea. He's not even sure how he's in Nick's head now. _Worth a try, I guess. I should probably experiment anyway, learn how to keep myself sane._

Nick doesn't like the idea of Joe playing with his powers. Joe can tell. The thought isn't in words, so much as a bubble of vague displeasure rises to the surface of Nick's mind and bursts.

Joe appreciates the concern, and the quiet, and everything Nick's doing for him. But he has powers. Or, a singular power. He needs to know what it does, besides give him seriously insane headaches.

Trying to keep a tentative connection with Nick, Joe moves to turn off the shower. Things stay quiet. Joe wonders if the noise is gone. He lets go of Nick's mind.

The noise is not gone.

 _Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe,_ Nick thinks patiently as Joe follows his thoughts back into Nick's mercifully quiet mind.

*

As they get ready for bed, Joe learns a few things. His connection with Nick is roughly similar to physical contact, in that it can just be a glancing brush, or a light hold, or a tighter hold, or... something Joe's not prepared to investigate any further just yet. He doesn't know what just diving into Nick's brain will to do to Nick and isn't willing to risk it, no matter how on board Nick is with this plan.

Fortunately, unlike physical contact, Joe doesn't actually have to be within reach of Nick for him to be a soothing presence. To Nick's very great displeasure, announced both verbally and mentally which was super annoying, Joe had made him go as far as the hotel lobby and not lost contact. He's not sure what he's going to do the next time he and Nick have to be on opposite sides of the country, or world, but he has some time before he has to worry about that.

Joe's also pretty sure that in general his telepathy isn't long range. He hears people's thoughts as if they're not using their inside voices, which means through hotel walls and if they're in the same room or bus, but, it's not like he can hear everyone in the whole world. Which would make him go crazy and die. This he thinks he can probably survive. Still, things are more pleasant if he hangs out in Nick's brain.

*

It's pretty nice to have an excuse to sleep wrapped around Nick, even if Joe doesn't actually need the physical contact. Nick thinks it will be easier to stay in contact if Joe's right there, and who is Joe to deny Nick, or himself, physical contact?

It's a little weird, witnessing Nick falling asleep. His last lucid thoughts are not very lucid, and it's kind of funny to know that serious, practical Nicholas dreams about shiny red robots just like everyone else.

*

Joe abruptly wakes in the middle of the night from a dream that is very decidedly not his. Other people's dreams are very loud in the room.

He's sweaty and a little turned on. Which is awkward when Nick is wrapped around him like a spider monkey.

Nick's also damp with sweat, and, ah, Joe shifts experimentally, maybe more than a little turned on as well.

It's loud in his head again, and what he remembers of Nick's dream is blowing away like cobwebs, slipping out of his fingers as he tries to grasp at them.

He remembers Nick's bed at home, blue striped sheets and he, well, Nick, pressing someone in a white undershirt down into the mattress. He remembers the kind of implied kisses that happen in dreams, where it doesn't feel like a kiss, but you know that's what the people in the dream are doing.

Joe tries to turn away from Nick, but Nick's wrapped around him so tightly it's really more of a squirm. It gets Joe a little distance, anyway.

He's pretty sure he's not going back to sleep. There are too many dreams around him.

And, yeah, Joe could probably just get back into Nick's head, but it seems creepy to do that without Nick's consent. Besides, given what he remembers of Nick's dream, Joe's not entirely sure he wants to rejoin him.

Joe listens to the noise around him, or, really, he supposes it's in him. He ignores Nick's steady familiar thoughts and tries to listen to others. It's like picking out the piano part in a piece of music and focusing only on that.

Somewhere nearby, a woman dreams of drowning in a bubble-bath ocean. It's scary and silly at the same time, but the feeling that lingers is fear. Joe moves on. A child dreams of an amusement park, the kid thinks it's Disneyland, but none of the rides make sense. A man dreams he is having aggressive sex with a woman in a red satin nightie, she doesn't have a face. A teenage girl dreams of screaming at her mother and wakes up feeling furious. Joe wonders if she's a fan. An elderly man is tossing and turning, he can't get comfortable in an unfamiliar bed. Joe feels bad for the guy and wonders if he can help.

He tries to follow the old man's thoughts, maybe see if he can relax the guy, but they're harder to follow than Nick's. Joe's not sure why.

*

Nick wakes up gradually hours later, first moving sleepily against Joe and then slowly regaining consciousness.

He blinks at Joe blearily and frowns. "You're awake?"

He's grumpy that Joe's awake, suspects that Joe isn't still in his head though Joe can still read his thoughts. Nick misses Joe being that close to him, it's comforting.

Joe leans forward slightly and kisses the worried crease between Nick's eyebrows. "I didn't want to go back in while you were sleeping. It seemed invasive."

"I gave you permission." Only Nick could sound peevish while yawning. "Anytime you need me, my brain is your brain, Joe. I mean it."

"Okay. Thank you, Nick. That's kind of above and beyond the call of duty, man."

Nick burrows into Joe's space, cuddly when still mostly asleep. "Love you."

*

Nick follows Joe around like a shadow the next day, as if his presence alone can shield Joe's mind.

Joe quickly learns how to dive in and out of Nick's brain when crowds get too loud or thoughts get too intimate. He doesn't learn how to knock.

They're outside a Starbucks, a crowd of fans requesting autographs, some pushy aggressive and terrifyingly desperate, others timid, or awestruck, or content just to watch. It's always weird, girls' fervor about them, but knowing their thoughts makes it actually scary.

Joe pushes closer to Nick, slips into his brother's brain, where it's safe.

Nick leans in, and a warm rush of love and fierce protection and lust envelope Joe.

Lust, huh? Joe leaves Nick's brain in a hurry, wanting to ponder this development on his own.

Joe isn't as shocked as he thinks he should be. Surprised, yes, but not disturbed, and more than a little intrigued by the idea. It's not as if he's never looked speculatively at his brothers.

*

Joe keeps Nick's inadvertent revelation to himself. He watches his brother, takes refuge in his mind, and tries to subtly rummage through Nick's thoughts to find out what his feelings about Joe really are.

He doesn't have to look very hard.

*

Joe's on his own during the show. He wants to be able to respond to the band's thoughts, to have as good a show as last night's. He keeps a part of his focus on Nick, though.

Nick, who can't keep his eyes off of Joe. Who thinks Joe is hot, likes the way Joe moves. Who loves Joe so fiercely it almost overwhelms them both.

Nick's feelings unlock something in Joe. It's always been there, he realizes, disguised as affection, admiration, the need to protect his little brother with his life were it ever to come to that.

Joe's singing about the voice he hears inside his head, the reason that he's singing and he realizes that he's found the missing piece he needs. That it's never actually been missing.

 _I love you,_ Joe says into Nick's brain. Nick fumbles a chord, joy and confusion and fear projected at Joe.

Joe wants to rush over to Nick, take him in his arms and assure him that he has nothing to be afraid of. That Joe is in this with him, that Joe wants this more than he's capable of really comprehending.

But they have a show to finish, though Joe's not really all that interested in finishing it.

He does, because he's a professional, because he appreciates his staff and his fans and they deserve the best show he can give them. And also because Nick would never forgive him if he didn't.

*

Nick's quiet and a little standoffish after the show which is annoying for Joe because he wants to wrap himself around Nick and never let go. They had a good show, a really good show, so Joe can't quite figure out what the problem is. Or, he could, but he's pretty sure that's the wrong move right now.

"Nick? What's up?"

Nick crosses his arms and looks defensive, upset, hurt. "It's not like you don't already know."

"Know what? I'm not in there, I mean, if you want me to I could figure it out, but I thought you'd want to talk about it," Joe offers. He's pretty confident he made the right call here.

Nick's face softens slightly. "Thanks, Joe. But, not here, okay? Later."

"Sure," Joe agrees easily. It's not like he really wants to confess his undying love for his little brother in front of their entire family, band, crew, and various strangers. Besides, he's not going to just let this drop.

Nick uncrosses his arms and Joe sneakily darts in for a hug, wrapping Nick tight in his arms.

Nick stiffens. "I thought you said you weren't in my head."

Oh. Joe laughs and squeezes tighter. "I'm not. If we're gonna do this, you've gotta trust me. I know you pretty well, sometimes I get things right on my own."

"We're gonna do this?" Nick's voice is tight. Joe's not sure why, exactly.

"We'll talk later, okay, Nicky?" Joe steps away from him and lets himself get lost in other people's noise.

*

Things are strained between Nick and Joe for the rest of the evening. Joe's trying to give Nick space, he knows that things will be fine, amazing, even, once they talk. And probably kiss. And maybe some other stuff. Hopefully.

The ride back to the hotel is awkward, though, Nick and Joe both simultaneously holding themselves apart and straining towards each other.

Joe can't wait to have his brother in his arms. His fingers twitch in the elevator, the urge to reach out almost insurmountable. He's listening to everything around him that isn't Nick, and the effort to avoid him leaves Joe dizzy.

By the time the elevator stops, Joe can't quite catch his balance and a headache is forming in his skull.

"Joe?" Nick says, concerned. Joe suspects it's not the first time Nick's called his name. He stumbles awkwardly.

"Sorry, just," he waves his hand near his head. "Loud."

Nick's face softens and he wraps an arm around Joe's waist, tugging him out of the elevator and providing some stability.

"You want to... come in?" Nick offers as they walk down the hall.

Joe does, so badly. Needs the quiet and safety and comfort of Nick. But. "After we talk."

Nick's tense at Joe's side, and slides the keycard into the door with a sharp jab. He guides Joe into the room and then abruptly lets go.

Pain still crawls over his brain, but it's not enough to stop Joe. He's not sure there's a force in the world strong enough to stop him wanting this.

He pulls Nick into his arms, less a hug and more a lovers embrace.

"Nick," he says, slow and urgent and sincere. "I meant it at the show, when I told you I love you. That I'm in love with you."

"Joe," Nick says, the word infused with a thousand somethings Joe can't read. It's frustrating.

"I'm not in your head, Nick. I don't know what that means."

Nick squeezes him tight and then steps away. Joe feels bizarrely bereft.

"You're in love with me, Joe? What? Since when?"

"Since always, Nick. When I felt how you feel about me, everything fell into place. You've always been the most important thing to me, always mattered just a little bit more."

"That doesn't mean," Nick huffs. "Joe, I'm okay. You're my brother, and I love you. I love what you're trying to do for me, but you don't have to. I'll deal. Keep dealing."

Joe is confused. It's possible he's misunderstanding, it isn't easy to hold a conversation with all of the noise around him, but it sounds like Nick's rejecting him and thinks Joe's doing him a favor at the same time. He reaches for his brother.

"I don't understand."

Nick sighs. "Look, Joe, I've had feelings, a crush, whatever, on you for awhile now. And except for how you can read minds suddenly, I think I've been doing a good job of playing it cool. So I appreciate the interest, I really do, but I'm okay. You don't need to take care of me, pretend to feel the same. It's really not necessary."

Joe doesn't know what snaps in him, how or why or what exactly, only that Nick's words break his heart a little bit and that the time for talking is done. He pounces, pinning his little brother against a hotel wall and kissing him hard enough to be clear.

Nick doesn't resist.

"Let me, let me," Joe mumbles against Nick's lips, "let me in."

"Yes," Nick exhales.

It's easier than ever for Joe to slip into Nick's brain, soothing as always but fire's racing through Joe. He rifles lightly through Nick's brain, most of what he's looking for appears unbidden.

 _I hope he won't stop kissing me._ Joe brushes his lips over Nick's.

 _Not enough._ And _I want him to leave marks._ Joe trails kisses down Nick's neck, biting at his collarbone through his shirt. Nick groans.

 _I never thought I'd want to be pressed up against the wall and kissed until I can't feel my lips._ Joe uses his whole body to pin Nick in place, giving his brother what he needs as Joe looks deeper into Nick's brain and discovers what it is Nick really wants. To be enveloped and posessed and overwhelmed. For Joe to convince him that this is really happening, a serious and permanent thing that won't be taken away from him.

Joe's kisses slow and his touches linger, claiming Nick sweet and greedy, the way Joe wants to possess him.

A wave of annoyance rises up in Nick, and Joe bites at him even as he gently guides Nick away from the wall and onto a soft hotel mattress. He doesn't need Nick's instructions to settle himself on top of Nick, working a hand slowly under his shirt to indulge them both in the sensation of skin on skin.

Nick arches up into Joe. He wants everything at once, a trap to keep Joe close. But Joe doesn't need a trap, or is maybe already trapped.

Nick is trying to entice Joe with graphic images, the ones from his dream last night, Nick on top of Joe, grinding, arching, kissing. Joe dragging Nick's shirt off, acres of exposed skin. Joe peppering Nick's skin with hickeys, bite marks, other bruises. Red ribbons around Nick's wrists where Joe held firm. Joe sucking Nick's dick. Making love to him.

It's too much, Nick's mental assault, and Joe kisses him intently until his mind is quiet to everything but Joe here and now. Nick doesn't understand yet that he is enticement enough. That Joe doesn't need or want everything at once. They have a whole lifetime.

Joe runs a hand up the side of Nick's face and curls his fingers into Nick's hair. They stop kissing to breathe and then Joe's mouthing Nick's jaw, down his throat, up to his temple.

Nick's hands fit warm and sure on Joe's waist, one of them gradually moving to fist the back of his shirt.

They kiss and kiss and kiss until neither of them remembers anything but kissing, the way Nick likes to nip and be nipped, the way Joe responds to being petted. They kiss as Joe rolls off of Nick, as they both kick off their pants and pull up the bedclothes. They kiss until they fall asleep.

And in the morning, Nick wakes Joe with a kiss.


End file.
